What movies/games don't deserve the "spoiler alert" treatment?

[Parasondox]

Hello Escapist

Lately as I watch a certain TV, movie or play a game, story lines and easter eggs would come up that would divide views and opinions eg. Iron Man 3 twist, Man of Steel, Mass Effect 3 ending etc. There are also others that haven't seen those movies or games yet and would avoid spoiler alerts at every cost until they see what they wish to desire. Then I thought of the something. What are some games, movies and TV series that DON'T deserve the "spoiler alert" treatment?

 

[Parasondox]

Hello Escapist

Lately as I watch a certain TV, movie or play a game, story lines and easter eggs would come up that would divide views and opinions eg. Iron Man 3 twist, Man of Steel, Mass Effect 3 ending etc. There are also others that haven't seen those movies or games yet and would avoid spoiler alerts at every cost until they see what they wish to desire. Then I thought of the something. What are some games, movies and TV series that DON'T deserve the "spoiler alert" treatment?

 

[Erttheking]

I think really shitty ones that no one cares about for a start. I don't think anyone was upset when Yahtzee spoiled the ending to Ride to Hell Retribution.

That and ones that have been out for a couple of years.

 

[Dr. Cakey]

Was there something in Man of Steel to "spoil"? Does the ending count as a "spoiler"?

Whatever. Don't spoil stuff. It's a dick thing to do.

 

[Nouw]

None. There is absolutely no excuse to not use spoiler alerts. Something people on this forum really need to fucking learn how to do.

Not to mention how to do them correctly. When Season 3 of Game of Thrones was airing and everyone wanted to talk about it on this forum. Hardly anyone bothered to fucking specify whether the spoiler tag was for the show or the book, or which book in the series it was. Clearly state what you're spoiling before you use the tags, use the fucking tags, done. That's all you have to do.

Can we please sticky this post at the top of every thread that involves spoilers? That and how to name your spoiler tags so we know what you're spoiling.

 

[Kenbo Slice]

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes back doesn't. Because everybody should already know that Vader is Luke's dad.

 

[Esotera]

I'd say it's ok not to use spoilers if you're talking about something that is very old like Dracula, or very widely known such as what happens to Dumbledore in Harry Potter. As a general rule anything over 10-20 years old is probably ok to talk about...but you should only be revealing it if it's essential to your point.

 

[Legion]

If the title of the topic is about a very specific work of fiction and says "spoilers within" or similar I'd say it's okay not to use spoiler tags.

For example "What did you think of the third season of Game of Thrones? (Spoilers)"

In this case it should go without saying that people discussing it would be talking about the series as a whole and you probably shouldn't go into the thread without having seen it that far.

When a topic is about something vague, then spoiler tags should always be used, no matter how old or well known the topic is.

For example "What death in fiction came as the most surprise?"

Even if the topic mentions it will have spoilers, everybody should be using tags when posting an answer because it could be from any work of fiction ever. Unless you hold the unreasonable idea that people shouldn't join in the topic unless they have experienced every work of fiction in existence then there is no excuse for not using them.

It should hopefully also go without saying that if somebody asks something like "What did you think of season 1 of Lost?" that any replies that mention anything after season 1 should also be spoiler tagged.

I also wish that people would learn how to use spoiler tags correctly.

Spoiler

This kind of tag is fine if the tags are used for hiding images or if the subject that is being spoilered has already been made known. But it should not be used if you haven't specified what subject will be discussed within them.

Spoiler: This is how they should be used normally (Spoilers for Lord of the Ring)

This way when I say that Frodo unfortunately doesn't fall into Mount Doom, you won't have had anything ruined for you that you may not want to know.

 

[Evonisia]

I think it depends on the game, film or book.

For example, if you spoil the twist at the end of Silent Hill 2, you've sort of ruined the experience for another person because up until the twist as far as you know you're looking for your suddenly alive again wife in Silent Hill.

Whereas if anybody seriously puts Spoilers for say, The Empire Strikes Back, they really underestimate the common knowledge of the fact that Luke is Vader's son, hell it's even revealed/heavily focused on in Episode III. I think it depends on how old and how popular the title is, or how much said spoiler will effect the plot.

Does it really hurt to say that the Elites get betrayed by the Prophets in Halo 2? Is it ok to reveal that Atlas turns out to not be who he seems in BioShock?

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

When something is obscure and you are bringing it to light, there is a good chance your audience may want to experience it themselves on your recommendation, so don't spoil. When something is obscure and really shitty, generally people don't mind (Yahtzee's recent review of Ride to Hell Retribution) if you spoil. If something is new, don't spoil. When something is as old as the hills, use your common sense depending on the situation (it is fairly safe to spoil Romeo and Juliet for example).

But honestly just use spoiler alerts anyway. There's always a chance.

For the record:

Spoiler: This is a spoiler alert

Spoiler: SPOILER ALERT

[Derp kills Herp]
Quote me to see how I did it if you don't know.

or

Spoiler

[Captain Dragon was really the king of the pebbles all along]
Quote me to see how I did it if you don't know.

 

[WanderingFool]

Simply put, unless its something along these lines [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ItWasHisSled], its just decency to put it in a spoiler tag box, as well as to atleast put forth the effort to notify people what the box contains... unless you want to dick with people, than leave it blank...

 

[Dom1]

(it is fairly safe to spoil Romeo and Juliet for example).

Romeo and Juliet spoils itself within the first ten lines. So yeah, fairly safe.

 

[rob_simple]

I really don't think there should be a statute of limitations on this stuff; I'd genuinely never heard what the twist in Citizen Kane was until a few years ago, which sucked because I'd always kind of wanted to watch it.

The only film I can think of where you could get away with spoilers is Titanic, because if anyone was watching it, actually expecting the boat to reach New York then they have far worse problems than spoilers.

 

[MasterOfHisOwnDomain]

Not everyone has played Bioshock or Silent Hill 2. What you said regarding to Silent Hill is obviously a dead give away that you're not looking for your "suddenly alive again wife" and anyone who starts there first playthrough of Bioshock after reading that is going to suspect Atlas, therefore ruining the surprise.

My thoughts exactly when I read those comments. Even if you don't say exactly what the ending is, you are still spoiling it by clarifying that it definitely isn't this.

As for the idea that works over a certain age can be spoiled without care for others, that seems wrong to me; some sort of "Well if you haven't read it by now then it's your fault ..." mentality, when actually the majority of works were made a while ago and it's entirely forgivable to not have read / seen it and to be allowed to enjoy the shocks as the original audience would have.

 

[King of Asgaard]

Unless you're on a forum specifically dedicated to the discussion and appreciation of X's nuances, where X is any game/film/book, ANYTHING can be a spoiler, and thus, should not be spoiled.

None. There is absolutely no excuse to not use spoiler alerts. Something people on this forum really need to fucking learn how to do.

Not to mention how to do them correctly. When Season 3 of Game of Thrones was airing and everyone wanted to talk about it on this forum. Hardly anyone bothered to fucking specify whether the spoiler tag was for the show or the book, or which book in the series it was. Clearly state what you're spoiling before you use the tags, use the fucking tags, done. That's all you have to do.

See this? This is the post of someone who's had something spoiled because someone else couldn't give a damn or was too ignorant to realise what they were saying was a spoiler. My sympathies, friend, I've been there too, and I wholeheartedly agree with your post.

Spoiler: here there be spoilers

I think it depends on the game, film or book.

For example, if you spoil the twist at the end of Silent Hill 2, you've sort of ruined the experience for another person because up until the twist as far as you know you're looking for your suddenly alive again wife in Silent Hill.

Whereas if anybody seriously puts Spoilers for say, The Empire Strikes Back, they really underestimate the common knowledge of the fact that Luke is Vader's son, hell it's even revealed/heavily focused on in Episode III. I think it depends on how old and how popular the title is, or how much said spoiler will effect the plot.

Does it really hurt to say that the Elites get betrayed by the Prophets in Halo 2? Is it ok to reveal that Atlas turns out to not be who he seems in BioShock?

And in a few short sentences, you've managed to spoil several big things.
I, for one, had not played Halo, nor Silent Hill 2.
Do not assume that just because something has a large enough acclaim and following that you can't spoil it, because not everyone has played/read/watched it. Just because they haven't experienced it yet doesn't necessarily mean they won't ever.

 

[madwarper]

Anything that's based on real events shouldn't need a spoiler.

It shouldn't be a spoiler that at the end of Titanic, the boat sinks.
It shouldn't be a spoiler that at the end of Lincoln, he gets shot in the head.